NPR's Book of the Day

In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day gives you today's very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we've got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch today's great books in 15 minutes or less. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Book of the Day.

Website

Every guest on NPR's Book of the Day

1338 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Lily Brooks-Dalton

   'The Light Pirate' depicts a dystopian Florida amidst climate catastrophes · Dec 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Lisa Ko

   'Memory Piece' follows female friendships over several decades · 2 episodes

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Lucy Ives

   Two new books about writing break down the creative process · May 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Madeline Miller

   Two novels offer new perspectives on the women of Greek mythology · Apr 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
5. —
   Mary H.K. Choi

   'Emergency Contact' explores love in the age of modern technology · Jan 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   Megha Majumdar

   In ‘A Guardian and a Thief,’ a mother’s love for her family threatens her own morals · 2 episodes

   0 votes

   Never again
7. —
   Nicholas Boggs

   A new James Baldwin biography asks how the writer’s lovers might’ve shaped him · Oct 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
8. —
   Nicola Yoon

   In 'One of Our Kind,' a Black family moves to a planned utopia · Jun 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
9. —
   Nicole Cuffy

   In 'Dances,' a Black ballerina navigates immense pressure and expectations · Jun 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
10. —
    Parini Shroff
    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Peter Swanson
    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Phillip B. Williams

    'Ours' follows a woman in the 1830s who has the power to free enslaved people · Feb 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
13. —
    Pierce Brown
    0 votes

    Never again
14. —
    Portia Elan

    In 'Homebound,' an epic journey through multiverses begins with a single video game · May 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
15. —
    Qian Julie Wang

    'Beautiful Country' looks back on a young Chinese girl's undocumented childhood · Nov 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
16. —
    Rabia Chaudry

    'Fatty Fatty Boom Boom' details a lifelong relationship with food and body image · 2 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
17. —
    Rachel Kushner

    Rachel Kushner's new novel 'Creation Lake' is inspired by real-life espionage · Sep 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
18. —
    Rob Franklin

    'Great Black Hope' is a character study of a young, Black, queer man in high society · Jun 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
19. —
    Sabrina Imbler

    'How Far The Light Reaches' dives into the deep sea for lessons on community and care · Feb 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
20. —
    Sam Kean

    ‘Dinner with King Tut’ follows experimental archaeologists as they recreate the past · Aug 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
21. —
    Sarah Thankam Mathews

    'All This Could Be Different' grapples with the beautiful chaos of post-college life · Dec 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
22. —
    Selma Blair

    Two celebrity memoirs take us behind the scenes to talk health, relationships, fame · May 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
23. —
    Shannon Chakraborty

    'The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi' calls a mother and former pirate back to the sea · Apr 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
24. —
    Shelby Van Pelt

    An unexpected, endearing friendship in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' · May 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
25. —
    Stephanie Land

    In 'Class', Stephanie Land fulfills her dream of going to college to become a writer · Dec 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
26. —
    V.E. Schwab

    In 'The Ending Writes Itself,' a contest to complete a manuscript turns deadly · May 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
27. —
    Victoria Chang
    0 votes

    Never again
28. —
    Virginia Evans

    'The Correspondent' is an epistolary novel, but can letters tell the whole story? · 2 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
29. —
    Adam Roberts

    In debut novel 'Food Person,' a food writer ghostwrites a celebrity cookbook · Jun 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
30. —
    Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

    'The Black Agenda' and 'Solitary' tackle criminal justice reform · Feb 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
31. —
    David Maraniss

    'Path Lit by Lightning' showcases Jim Thorpe's resilience until the end of his life · Sep 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
32. —
    Frank Bruni

    'The Beauty of Dusk' and life's calamitous challenges · Mar 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
33. —
    Garrett Graff

    Eighty years after Hiroshima, a new book narrates the history of the atomic bomb · Aug 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
34. —
    Hussein Agha
    0 votes

    Never again
35. —
    Jessica Hernandez

    In 'Fresh Banana Leaves' an indigenous approach to fighting climate change · Jul 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
36. —
    Jimmy Carter
    0 votes

    Never again
37. —
    Joan Nathan
    0 votes

    Never again
38. —
    Julian Zelizer

    New book evaluates President Biden's legacy as midterm elections approach · Sep 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
39. —
    Julie Schwartz Gottman

    'Fight Right' analyzes how to communicate and connect through relationship conflicts · Feb 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Kristen Kish
    0 votes

    Never again